§ MR. GERALD LODER (Brighton)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury, whether he is now in a position to state when the National Portrait Gallery will be opened to the public?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI understand that the Trustees propose to open the Gallery to the public on Saturday, April 4, provided that the appointments in the new staff of the curator, the resident officers, and police are sufficiently advanced to enable them so to do. There is, therefore, some doubt 1027 about the date, but the curator hopes in any case that it will not be very long after that time.
§ MR. TOMLINSONasked whether there would be any public ceremony on the occasion?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI do not think it is contemplated to have any public ceremony in connection with the opening